Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and the Milan 54 Hoosiers Museum unveiled on WSLM’s Coffee Club a limited edition series of bobbleheads commemorating Milan High School’s 1954 Boys Basketball State Championship. Milan High School’s unbelievable story was featured in the 1986 movie Hoosiers, which is widely considered to be one of the best sports movies ever made. The release comes just weeks before the 65^th Anniversary of Milan’s historic victory, which was on March 20, 1954, and as Hoosier Hysteria kicks into high gear.

All 12 players from the 1954 Milan High School basketball team are included in the bobblehead series, which is available for purchase online in the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store or at the Milan 54 Museum. The bobbleheads are $25 each or $250 for the set of 11, and shipping is a flat rate of $8.

The bobbleheads feature all 12 members of the 1954 State Championship team: Ray Craft, Bill Jordan, Gene White, Bobby Plump, Bob Wichman, Ron Truitt, Glen Butte, Bob Engel, Rollin Cutter, Roger Schroder, Kenny Wendelman and Kenny Delap. Each bobblehead features the player in their Milan jersey holding a replica of the State Championship trophy and commemorative championship basketball.

Milan High School, with an enrollment of only 161, defeated powerhouse Muncie Central High School, which had an enrollment of 1,662, by a score of 32-30 in the state championship game at Butler University’s Butler Fieldhouse (now Hinkle Fieldhouse). With the game tied at 30, the team’s leader, Bobby Plump, hit a 14-footer from the right side as time expired to win the championship and deny the Bearcats a fifth state title. Forty thousand people descended on Milan, which had a popular of only 1,150, the following day as the team returned home from Indianapolis, lining State Road 101 for 13 miles to congratulate the Indians. Milan is the smallest school to win a single-class state basketball title in Indiana and finished the season with a 19-2 regular season record and 28–2 overall record.

Milan High School’s famous “Milan Miracle of 1954” was the inspiration for the 1986 film Hoosiers, starring Gene Hackman. Some details were changed in the movie, including the team’s name, which was “Hickory” on the big screen adaptation. The team’s star player, Bobby Plump, was named Jimmy Chitwood in the movie.

“These bobbleheads are the perfect way for fans to commemorate Milan High School’s state championship, one of the greatest sports stories in Indiana and sports history,” said Phil Sklar, Co-Founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. “The bobbleheads are a symbol of a great underdog story and championship team and they’re a must-have for fans.”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum opened to the public on February 1^st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for organizations, individuals and teams across the country. Visit us at www.BobbleheadHall.com, www.facebook.com/BobbleheadHall or www.twitter.com/BobbleheadHall.

About the Milan 54 Hoosiers Museum:

The Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum is located on West Carr Street in the quiet rural town of Milan, IN. It houses memorabilia from the 1954 championship game between Milan and Muncie Central…a David and Goliath story. It also has a large collection of artifacts from the movie HOOSIERS on display. The museum strives to keep our local history alive and to capture a bit of Hoosier Hysteria. Please come visit and find out more at www.milan54.org or email milan54@frontier.com. The Milan 54 Hoosier Museum can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Yesterday afternoon at 12:56 P.M. (central time) Spencer County 911 Dispatch Center received an emergency call from 6280 North Highland Road, Grandview reporting shots fired during an ongoing domestic dispute. 

A short time later, Indiana State Police Troopers, Spencer County Sheriff’s Deputies and Rockport City Police Officers responded to the residence where they discovered Alan Lee Bennett, 52, Grandview, who required immediate medical attention.

Bennett was flown via helicopter to an undisclosed hospital for serious injuries.

Officers also discovered Linda F Bowman, 64, Grandview at the residence. Bowman was confirmed deceased at the residence by the Spencer County Coroner Rachel Gentry.  

Investigators were able to determine that Bennett and Bowman were living in the residence together during the time of the incident.

Indiana State Police Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators remained on scene for nearly nine hours processing evidence and piecing together the circumstances of this tragedy.

Death notifications have been made.

An autopsy has been scheduled for later today. Results will be make available as soon as practical.

Indiana State Police Troopers were assisted by the Spencer County Sheriffs Department, Spencer County Coroner Rachel Gentry, Spencer County EMS, Chrisney Volunteer Fire Department, Grandview Volunteer Fire Department, Rockport Police Department and the Spencer County Prosecutors Office.  

Cleaning out your closets? Donate your “gently used” prom dresses and formal gowns to the 5th Annual WSLM SAY YES TO THE PROM DRESS event set for Sunday, March 31 at p in the presentation room of the Salem High School.

WSLM RADIO is collecting prom dresses and gowns as well as all accessories — purses, shoes, gloves, jewelry and hair accessories — for the upcoming event for girls in the WSLM listening area of Scott, Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Orange, Lawrence, Jackson and Madison.

There will be dresses from a variety of department stores, Beloved in Seymour and accessories from Serendipity in Madison as well as items donated from individuals all over Southern Indiana. 

“I know some girls don’t have the resources to go to the prom,” said Becky White, WSLM Owner and General Manager. “My goal is that any girl who wants to go to the prom, can get a dress at this event and have the chance to not only look beautiful on the outside but to have an experience that makes her feel like a princess on the inside.”

“Prom season is upon us and I want all the girls in the Kentuckiana area to experience the prom,” said White. 

The event is free and open to teen girls in the Kentuckiana area.

“We have many  beautiful dresses that are new or gently used items that have been donated. They will help make your prom night affordable and unforgettable,” said White. “This year’s event will be held at Salem High School to accommodate more people.”

WSLM won the Indiana Broadcasters Cardinal Community Service Award in 2018 for the event among all radio stations in the 9th Congressional District. The event began in 2015. 

For more information about donating items, call 812.883.3401 or 812.620.7271 or email at wslmradio@gmail.com to make arrangements to have your items picked up or you can arrange to drop your items to WSLM RADIO, 1308 East Hackberry Street during business hours. 

Last week, Hoosier broadcasters went to Capitol Hill to share the impact of local TV and radio with members of Congress. 

WSLM Owner and General Manager Rebecca White was part of the Indiana Broadcasters Association group for the second year. 

She is the 9th Congressional District Board member serving in her second term. 

“It was so exciting to see how things work in Washington,” said White. “We all had parts to play in talking with Senators and Representatives on the trip as well as meeting with the National Association of Broadcasters.”

White said 18 broadcasters from Indiana met with each member of Indiana’s congressional delegation or members of their staff to discuss several issues impacting our industry now and in the future.

One of the issues possibly affecting small broadcasters is a tax on radio broadcasters. 

Indiana broadcasters asked members of Congress to sign the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA), which opposes any new tax, fee or royalty on local radio stations, enjoys strong bipartisan support in both chambers.  Last year, all Indiana Senators and Representatives signed the legislation co-sponsored LRFA and we are working to garner their same support this year.

Spectrum Repack

Nearly 1,000 local television stations across the country are required to move to new frequencies due to the FCC’s broadcast spectrum incentive auction – known as the Spectrum Repack. 

The Repack is currently in Phase 2 and most Indiana stations will transition in Phase 6 which is scheduled for this fall. 

Delays due to weather, a shortage of qualified tower crews and other complications may prevent some stations from meeting their deadlines despite their best efforts. 

Members of Congress were asked to ensure that viewers and listeners should not lose access to the critical emergency information and local news broadcast stations provide due to arbitrary and unachievable deadlines set by the FCC.

The IBA asked the 116th Congress to make sure the FCC applies a waiver standard that ensures no TV station is forced off the air due to circumstances beyond its control.

STELAR

The IBA asked Congress to let the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR) to sunset at the end of the year.  Due to dramatic changes in the media marketplace, the provisions are no longer necessary.  

Technology has eliminated the need to import out-of-market station signals to consumers, and satellites now deliver  local TV stations to all 210 local media markets.